The iron bridge near Coalbrook Dale is a humbling testament to the skill of ironworkers over two hundred years ago. The spectacular Severn gorge that carves its way through layers of limestone, coal and iron ore is a striking natural feature that gave rise to the most important industrialised landscape of the C18th. The River…

A stroll around Southwark Cathedral is a perfect way to escape the bustle of Borough Market. Grand monuments in churches are fascinating, they instantly require our attention but most times we pass on by, content to limit our knowledge to the inscription. But there is a little mystery attached to the monument to John Treherne,…

The Gin Act 1751 is a reminder that drunkenness on the streets is nothing new. London has always been a magnet for people wanting to improve their chances in life. The early 18th century rural economy was already beginning to creak and groan under the yoke of enclosure and agricultural revolution. More people were seeking…

The old music halls filled the ordinary Victorians with a sense of fun and joy in what might otherwise be a pretty desolate life. Their tenure was to be fairly brief though as music halls gave way to picture houses.

Margaret Pole was an intriguing and complex character. One of the few survivors of the Plantagenet dynasty after the wars of the 15th Century she was executed under the orders of King Henry VIII in 1541, aged sixty seven years old. So what happened to cause this old lady to lose her head? First let’s…